In both electrical and fiber optic connectors, strain relief is utilized to eliminate or reduce axial stress on the fiber or cable contact interface. This is usually accomplished with the use of an adhesive in fiber optic connectors or by mechanical means in electrical connectors. In both of those cases, the methods utilized for strain relief can lead to performance degradation and reliability exposure. For example, high speed cables use foamed polytetra fluoro ethylene (PTFE) as the primary dielectric. In order to strain relieve the connector, two mating halves are compressed together, crushing the inner foam dielectric. This leads to a change in the dielectric constant of the material resulting in a reduction in signal speed.
In the case of fiber optic connectors, many fiber optic cables utilize an adhesive such as epoxy to strain relieve the fiber. However, if bubbles are present in the adhesive, excessive stress can be caused in the fiber which ultimately leads to latent fiber fracture in the field. Therefore there is a need for a uniform, void free method of fiber or wire strain relief.